Mechanism of a mail-crane in use by railways.



P. H. BURR. MECHANISM OF A MAIL CRANE IN USE BY RAILWAYS. APPLICATION FILED r1113. 12, 1912.

Patented June 9, 1914.

FRANKLIN BURB, OF ATLANTIC, IOWA.

MECHANISM OF A MAIL-CRANE IN USE BY RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 12, 1912.

Patented J une 9, 1914. SerialNo. 677,060.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANKLIN H. BURR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlantic, in the county of Cass and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in the mechanism of a mailcrane in use by railways for the purpose of supporting a mail-pouch in position to be taken onto a passing train, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a mail crane and has for itsobjects, the safety of the mail pouch to be received on the passing railway train; in providing means whereby it is im possible to place it in wrong position; and by providing a simple and durable construction, whereby the mail pouch can be placed in position with the aid of such steps as are a part of the mail crane. I attain these 0bjects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is an elevation of the entire mechanism; Fig. 2, is a front view of a portion of the mechanism; Fig. 3, is a plan view of a curved and jointed supporting mechanism for the upper crane arm; Fig. l, is a plan view of a combined sleeve for the curved and jointed supporting rod, and cushion for the upper crane arm; Fig. 5, is a plan view of the brackets that pivotally support the upper and lower crane arms; Fig. (3, is a plan view of a combined bracket and cushion for the lower crane arm; and Fig. 7, is a plan view of the mail crane vibrating support for the mail pouch in position.

In the drawings reference numbers refer to similar parts throughout the similar views.

The pedestal or base 1, is made in two similar counterparts, and forms in addition to the means for anchoring the mail crane in position, a clain iiing mechanism that rigidly anchors the mail crane upright 2, in its vertical position, in an adjustable manner, by reason of the bolting together of the two similar cmmterparts. The intermediary steps 18, 19, and the anchoring slot 16, are also a part of this invention, and are formed in making the two similar counterparts.

Reference 2, is a tubular upright, that sup ports the mail 0 'ane arms, and the connecting means between the arms and the pedestal '1, it is made of pipe or other suitable material and is rigidly clamped in its position by means of a clamping tubular sleeve, that is formed in the two counterparts of the pedestal, and form a rigid support for the tubular upright when bolted together. A part of the tubular upright is extended below the sleeve where it is further anchored in slot 16, by means of the anchor ing bolt 17 passing through it as shown. The tubular upright is adapted to slide up and down in the tubular formed sleeve 22, and the slots 16, as shown.

References 3, 3, are the upper and lower crane arms, and. are pivotally attached to the tubular support by means of the braclc.

ets 5, 5, which are adapted by their shape to be clamped to the tubular upright support 2. Reference at is a combination of wood or other material formed to adjust itself to the tubular upright, and be rigidly clamped to the upright by means of staple bolts, and is used as a cushion for the lower crane arm.

Reference (3, is a combined oblong sleeve, and cushion for the upper crane arm, and is rigidly clamped to the upright 2; the eblong form of the sleeve adapts it to the movements of the curved and jointed rod 7 which slides up and down in this sleeve and swings forward and backward in so doing, the bracket has projections at right angles, to which is bolted the wood cushion 10.

Reference 7 is a curved and jointed supporting rod for the upper crane arm to which it is pivotally connected, and is curved to adapt it to slide in the oblong slot ll, and jointed to adapt it to being used as a lever in connection with the lower crane arm, in forcing the upper crane arm into its operating position; to the end of the jointed portion of the supporting rod 7, is pivoted the roller 8, and the keeper 9; the roller 8, assists in forcing the end. of this red on the bracket 5, when the rod raised by the leverage formed by the lower crane arm, when the roller 8, rests against the bracket on the lower crane arm 20, the keeper t l which surroluuls the crane arm is used as a pivoted handle to roll and force the jointed portion of the rod 7 to its operating position, when resting on the bracket 5. The curved and jointed rod 7, is released from its sup porting position, by the short end of the lever formed by the pivotal connection of this arm to the bracket 5, when the lower crane arm is released in operation and falls by gravity to its rest position as shown by the dotted lines of the lower crane arm.

References 1.2 are the hangers that hold I V r 1,099,162

the mail pouch in position, by placing the rings of the mail pouch over these hangers, as is shown; they are pivotally connected to the free ends of the arms 3, 3, of the mail crane to the brackets 21, 21, of said arms, and are adapted to move laterally, to the right or left, and are made with side stops, and sloping oblong slots, that are adapted to hold the mail pouch in its proper place; the. side stops, 15 15 keep the pouch from slipping back too far on the hangers 12, 12, and the sloping oblong slots, 15, 15, in connection with the ring shaped ends of tension springs 13, 13, form a yielding latch, that keeps the hangers 12, 12, in a straight line with the arms 3, 3, 'when the ring shaped ends of the springs are engaged with the sloping oblong slots.

References 13, 13, are tension springs that are anchored through arms, 3, 3, and loosely anchored through the eye bolts 14, 14, and are made with ring shaped ends that are adapted. to rest in the sloping oblong slots, 15, 15,, thereby forming a yielding latch that holds the hangers 12, 12 in their proper position, and prevent the mail pouch from slipping off the hangers; the slots are made sloping and oblong in form, to adapt them to the form of the ring shaped ends of the springs, and the bettershape to-yield to the pivotal action of the hangers 12, 12, caused by the sudden removal of the pouch by'the passing train. The tension of springs 13,

13, can be increased ordiminished by the manipulation of the nuts 14 14 of the eye bolts 14, 14.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood, and various changes may be resorted to,*without departing vfrom the spirit of my invention or sacrificing any of y the principles thereof.

What I claim as new is- 1. In a'mail crane, a pedestal made in two counterparts, with bolt lugs, projections, partsof a tubular sleeve and elongated slots, adapted tobe bolted together and form a clamping member, adapted to support a tubular upright, that pivotally supports the movable parts of a mail crane, substantially as described. r V

2. In a mail crane, a pedestal. made in two counterparts, with lateral projections, lugs, and a vertical slot,-that forms when bolted together, a'conical clamping sleeve, a tubular upright extending through the conical sleeve, and rigidly clamped in a vertical position, with an anchoring bolt passing through the slots of said pedestal, and 'thr'oughthe part of the tubular upright that I is below the conical sleeve of said pedestal,

that are adapted to pivotally' support two arms,and means for hanging a mail pouch on said arms, a curved and jointed rod piv' otally connected to the upper arm or said arms, and means for placing said curved and jointed rod, in position to support the two arms on which the mail pouch is hung, substantially as described.

8. In a mail-crane, a pedestal made in two counterparts, with projections, bolt lugs, parts of a tubular sleeve, and parts of two elongated slots, said pedestal adapted to be bolted together and rigidly clamp a tubular upright that is fitted with an anchoring bolt,

that is adapted to slide .in the elongated slots,

and pivotally support the mail crane-arms in their operating position, substantially as described.

.4. In a'mail crane, a

pedestal made in V two counterparts, with bolt lugs, projections,

and parts of a tubular sleeve, and elongated slots, said counterparts adaptedto be bolted together and form a clamping member, that rigidly supports a tubular mail crane upright, fitted with an anchoring bolt,adap-ted to slide in the said elongated slots, and sup-,

port two mail crane arms with hangers on the free end of said arms, that are adapted to yieldingly support a mail pouch in position to be caught by a passing train, substan? tially as described.

5. In a mail crane, supporting arm, a supporting finger pivoted at the end of said arm for receiving the the combinationo f a supporting ring of a mail pouch, a spring member anchored to sand supporting arm and adapted to enter into yielding locking lock the mail pouch ring to said finger.

6. In a mail crane, the combination of a supporting arm, a supporting finger pivoted 7 to said arm to swing laterally and adapted to receive the sup-porting ring of a mail pouch ring to yieldingly lock said ring on said finger. o

8. In a railway mail crane, the combination of a supporting arm, a supporting finger pivoted to the end of said arm for lateral swing and adapted to receive a supporting ringof a mail pouch, a spring rod anchored at its inner end to said sup-porting arm and having a loop at its outer end for yieldingly engaging with said finger tolock said mail pouch ring thereto.

100. engagement with said supporting finger to' supporting arm and adapted to engage at its end in. said pocket in advance of the mail 9. In a railway mail crane, the combination of a supporting arm, a supporting fin ger pivoted to the end of said arm for lateral swing, and havinga depression, a spring rod anchored at its inner end and having a loop at its outer end for engaging in said depression in advance of a mail pouch supporting ring received by said finger, said spring member yielding upon outward pressure of said ring against said loop whereby said finger is released to swing laterally.

10. In a railway mail crane, the combination of a supporting arm, a supporting finger extending from and pivoted to the end of the arm for lateral swing, said finger having a locking abutment, a spring member anchored at its inner end and engaging at its outer end with said abutment to yieldingly lock said finger against lateral swing and to look a supporting ring of a mail pouch to said finger.

11. In a railway mail crane, the combination of a supporting arm, a supporting finger pivoted to the outer end of said arm for lateral swing, said finger having a locking abutment, a spring member anchored at its inner end and having a loop at its outer end for engaging with said abutment to yieldingly lock said finger against lateral swing, and to lock the supporting ring of a mail pouch to the finger, said spring member yielding to outward pressure of said ring against said loop whereby said loop is dis engaged from said abutment and said finger allowed to swing.

12. In a railway mail crane, the combination of a supporting arm, a supporting finger pivoted to the end of said arm for lateral swing, said finger having abutments near its pivoted end and having a depression in advance of said abutments, said finger being adapted to receive the supporting ring of a mail pouch, a spring rod anchored at its inner end to said supporting arm and having a loop at its outer end for engaging in said depression to yieldingly lock said linger against lateral swing and to lock said supporting ring to the finger, outward pres sure of said ring against said loop removing said loop from said depression to allow swing of the finger.

13. In a railway mail crane, the combination of a supporting arm, upperand lower ears extending outwardly from the end of said arm, a finger pivoted to and between said ears and adapted for lateral swing, a spring member securely anchored at its inner end in the path of said finger and serving to yieldingly lock said finger against lateral swing, and serving also to yieldingly lock the supporting ring of a mail bag to said finger.

1a. In a mail crane, a pedestal, rigidly supporting a mail crane upright, which supports two pivotally connected arms, with mail pouch hangers pivotally attached to said arms, said hangers provided with slop ing oblong slots, with spring latching members, that are yieldingly attached to said arms, and a portion of said latching members adapted to be yieldingly adjusted with said sloping oblong slots, substantially as described.

15. In a mail crane, a pedestal, that is adapted to rigidly support a mail crane upright, that pivotally supports two mail crane arms, said arms pivotally supporting two mail pouch hangers, formed with side projections, and sloping oblong slots, a rodshaped spring, with an anchor shaped bolt at one end, and ring shaped at the other end, and adapted to turn or bend in spring motion, the ring shaped ends adapted to yieldingly latch with the oblong slots of the pivotally connected hangers, substantially as described. 7

16. Ina mail crane, a pedestal adapted by its form to rigidly clamp a mail crane upright in position, mail crane arms that are pivotally attached to said upright, hangers with side projections, and sloping oblong,

slots, pivotally attached to said arms, a rod shaped spring, with means to anchor said arms, with spring shaped rings at the free end of said spring that are adapted to yield ingly latch with the said sloping oblong slots, of said hangers, said rod shaped spring being adapted to yieldingly turn in an eye bolt, that is anchored to said arms, and means for manipulating said. eye bolt to govern the yielding of said rod shaped spring, sub stantially as described.

17. In a mail crane, a pedestal supporting a mail crane upright, that pivotally supports mail crane arms, said arms adapted to gravitate from their operating to their rest position, to the upper of said arms thereis pivotally connected a curved and jointed supporting rod, adapted to support said arm in its operating position, and adapted to rest on the bracket that forms the pivotal connection of the lower arm to the said upright, and means for placing said curved and jointed rod in its supporting position, substantially described.

18. In a mail crane, a pedestal rigidly supporting a mail-crane upright, which pivotally supports an upper and. lower crane arm, a bracket supporting a sloping oblong sleeve, and means for attaching a cushion to break the fall of the said upper crane arm, a curved and jointed rod guided by the said sloping oblong sleeve, with a rod pivotally attached thereto, said rod pivotally supporting a loop that surrounds the lower crane arm, the pivotal connections of said loop forming a roller, and means for using the lower crane arm as a lever to force the upper crane arm into its operative position, sub stantially as described.

l9, 2i mail (B -me, a pd'e st'ml, rigitlly #01161- ina'id in-yd' I'l otcli and cl'a'nipmg and sl lpp'ortlng mail crane up- ,a'utgxnzpfilc means iqi unseatmg said i'oll er, right, wh lch support an,uppe1"and lower substantmlly; as' descnbed.

crane arm, a bracket forming the pivotal In test-ifndnyw hro'f I hereu'ntd fny 5 connect-ion of thehlbwer crane l arm to said signdtufe'in the presence of two witnesses. 15. mail crane u ri 't a curvec and 'ointed supporting 10%, p ivbtally connect-e 6. 160p FRANKLIN BURR I that surrounds the said arm, a rgller formed Vitnesse's: 3 by the pivotal connections of said loop," a W, NI'L'E'S; 10 curved notch in said bracket, and means for C. B. CLARK. 

